TUCSON, Ariz. -- Eight seasons gone by with a ninth at hand, it's almost hard to believe that Marvell Wynne is only 27 years old.

It's been a quite a soccer career already for the Colorado Rapids defender. He's a former No. 1 overall pick in the MLS Superdraft. He's played in the Olympics. He's earned four caps with the U.S. national team. He won an MLS Cup with the Rapids in his first season with the team, 2010. And as he looks around him, the faces and names from when he first joined the Rapids have changed dramatically.

Only Brian Mullan, Drew Moor, Matt Pickens and interim coach Pablo Mastroeni remain from when he first joined the team. Wynne sees himself having taken more of a veteran leadership role with the Rapids.

"At times, on the field I'm definitely more comfortable to talk and try to organize some of these new guys," Wynne said.

Wynne has seen ex-teammates and coaches come and go. He thinks the Rapids are coming back around to being properly managed.

"Realizing what we need on the pitch, not just throwing out players and seeing what happens. They're more towards trying to get a good chemistry going and a good vibe around the office," Wynne said.

Colorado made the playoffs last season but lost in a one-game eliminator at Seattle. Wynne was benched by then-coach Oscar Pareja at right back, and the gamble didn't playoff for the Rapids.

Wynne believes the team has what it takes to get back to the postseason, but that's a long way off.

For the here and now, Wynne has long taken a leadership role as a defender, communicating on the pitch to his teammates in front of him. But he has expanded that now that he's a seasoned veteran.

"As the years go on I don't suppose anything has really changed, I just realize that I'm getting better at it," Wynne said. "The more talk that comes out, the more confidence I have in my position and knowing where other people should be."